© EuroFootball.com
Strategist Sir Alex Ferguson admits that a loss for the club would practically bury hopes of defending the title of English champions.
In possibly the most crucial match of the Premier League season on Monday, "Man Utd" will try to maintain or increase their current three-point lead over Roberto Mancini's team on the road.
"If they win, I think they will win the title," said Ferguson. "If the match ends in a draw, then our position will be very strong, but we will only aim for victory."
Mancini disagreed with that: "Even if we win, 'Man Utd' will remain the favorites. My opinion always remains the same - the chances of our opponents are greater than ours."
A victory for "Man City" would mean that both teams would have the same number of points, and Mancini's club would rise to first place due to a better goal difference.
